More Pockets, More Hands, More Better Golf Bag

The new KG:2 stand bag from Sun Mountain offers more of what most golfers need—places to put more stuff. The KG:2 features a 9.5” oval, four-way top with full-length club dividers, three integrated top handles and a new lift-assist pocket handle. It also has eight pockets including a beverage pouch, mobile phone pocket, velour-lined valuables pocket, full-length clothing pocket, as well as the standard ball and accessory pockets. Yes, at least one of those will handle a PBJ—just wrap it tightly.

The KG:2 offers the efficient Sun Mountain Roller Bottom and recessed Y-Spring activator for faster leg action and tight-to-the-bag retraction, top mounted stand attachment for increased durability and stability, and triangular non-slip foot pads that resist sinking into grass and sliding on slick surfaces. If you have to ride, the cart-friendly bottom allows the bag to stand straight on the back of a cart, offering easier pocket access while the leg-lock system secures the legs to the bag so they do not activate inadvertently.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Weird Golf At Books Without Borders

Weird Golf will be featured at Books Without Borders, a day-long festival of books, authors, music, and other attractions on the Yonkers, NY, waterfront Saturday, June 9.

Books Without Borders will encompass the entire waterfront beginning at the wonderful Yonkers Riverfront Library and continuing past the Yonkers Metro North Train Station through Ella Fitzgerald Park and culminating at the picturesque Pier and Amphitheater on the Hudson River.

Workshops, Seminars and Panel discussions will be held throughout the day. Literary agents will hold workshops, authors will read from their works, and books--including Weird Golf--will be on sale. To add to the festive atmosphere, face painters and clowns will be in the Children’s Book area and music will be provided around the event area.

I'll be there from 10 AM to 4 PM, signing copies of Weird Golf. Come on by and let's swap some weird golf stories!

Books Without Borders was organized by The City of Yonkers, The Yonkers BID, The Yonkers Library System, The Westchester Guardian and Yonkers Tribune Newspapers, WGRN Radio, and author Dennis Sheehan.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Putting Mechanics, Begone!

I really agree with Dave Stockton when he urges the readers of his latest book, Unconscious Putting, to stop thinking and start putting. The putting stroke, he says, is small and simple. Its success depends almost entirely on touch and feel. What a breath of fresh air!

Stockton, a major championship winner on the PGA and Champions Tours, was known as one of the best putters of his day. Today, he coaches some of the top players in the game including Yani Tseng, Matt Kuchar, Adam Scott, Morgan Pressel, and Rory McIlroy. Phil Mickelson credits Stockton's lessons on the simple stroke for his wins at the Tour Championship in 2009 and at the Masters in 2010.

I wonder, though, if he could have helped Lenny, the golfer in my story "Screaming Blue Yips" from Weird Golf. Lenny's problem, you see, was a little blue gnome who showed up one day and insisted on reading putts for him. Talk about too many swing thoughts!

At any rate, the key to good putting, according to Stockton, is to make it an unconscious act, just like signing your name. Don't think about it--do it! He outlines a few simple physical routines that help you identify the target line, wipe your mind clean of swing thoughts, and roll the ball into the hole. It's a beautiful thing. Here, for example, is what he has to say about the big debate over swing path:

"I used to take the putter back a little outside and loop it around, and now I take it back a little to the inside. Ben Crenshaw brings it back in an arc to the inside. Loren Roberts brings it back straight. We've all made a ton of putts over a lot of years, doing it with different mechanics."

Of course, it wouldn't be an instruction book without some instruction, so Stockton includes some easy-to-understand common sense suggestions about keeping tension out of your grip, consistently keeping the ball centered under your eye line, and stroking with the intention of making solid contact. There are also plenty of clear photos some drills to help you develop confidence. What there isn't is a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo.

Ball--hole. It's simple, really.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Let The Genius Organize Your Golf Trip

A buddy trip can be the greatest golf experience you've ever had--or one of the worst. It's a blast to gang up with eight, twelve, or upteen guys (or gals) intent on playing golf til you drop, washing down some decidedly unhealthy cuisine with vast quantities of dangerous beverages, then getting up at the crack of dawn to do it all again. It's a blast, that is, unless you're the poor sap who has to organize the foursomes, score the tournaments and wagers, manage group expenses, and make sure everybody shows up at the right course at the right time.  Then a buddy trip can be a drag.

That's where GolfTripGenius.com can save your life--or at least your sanity. It's a new set of online software tools that make all that drudgery a heck of a lot easier. Charlie never wants to play with Chester but Bert and Ernie have an on-going grudge match that simply must be scheduled? GolfTripGenius will set up tee sheets to make sure everybody gets to play with everybody else while accommodating all the exceptions. Tired of telling sixteen guys where and when they're supposed to tee off tomorrow? Let GolfTripGenius take care of that chore. Need to track a six-round skins game with twelve players? GolfTripGenius will do it for you--as well as track tournament results for medal play, Stablefords, or even Ryder Cup formats. Get the picture? You will, if you use the trip book feature to create a memento with player bios, course data, photos, scores, and more.

This innovative service will save hours of preparation and remove tons of weight from the shoulders of everyone who puts together buddy trips, including not just individuals but tour operators, resorts, and golf professionals as well.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

GlenArbor Honors Golf Traditions

Like the game itself, the traditions of golf are often taken for granted. That's why GlenArbor Golf Club's annual Traditions of Golf Invitational stands out on my calendar every year. For no purpose other than to celebrate the sportsmanship and integrity inherent in golf, this private Bedford Hills, NY, club not only stages a first class event but honors someone who epitomizes those qualities and works to grow and improve the game. This year's honoree was Jay Mottola, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Golf Association. They couldn't have chosen anyone more deserving.

Head professional Brian Crowell MC'd the festivities. He introduced Jimmie Roberts, NBC Sports commentator, who gave a glowing video account of Mottola's career. Mottola then spoke for a few minutes, characteristically spending his entire allotted time talking about the many other people who contribute to the MGA's success.

A better ball tournament followed. I've never seen the course at GlenArbor in better condition, nor the rough so thick and gnarly. I am happy to report that my partner Tom Ralph and I placed second in the net event, losing out to Michael Beckerich and NY Times columnist Dave Anderson (who received the Traditions award in 2011).



Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

There's More To Pinehurst Than No. 2

Photo courtesy of Pinehurst Resort

It’s tempting, but don’t spend all your golf time on No. 2. There are seven other courses at Pinehurst that are well worth exploring. Over 140 pot bunkers will complicate your round on No. 4, a 6,658 par 72 Tom Fazio design that was the site of the 2008 U.S. Amateur. It’s definitely a must-play.  Traditionalists should also play No. 5, designed by Ellis Maples, where you’ll encounter more water than on any other course at the resort. No. 6 was renovated in 2005 with new bunkers and faster greens, making it a real test. Hudson Valley golfers will feel right at home on No. 7, where elevation changes, wetlands, and large, undulating greens add to the challenge designed by Rees Jones. Tom Fazio built many traditional dips and swales around sloping greens to daunt players on the 6,698-yard No. 8, which commemorated Pinehurst’s centennial in 1996.

With so much golf to play and so many other things to do, Pinehurst is a place worth more than a three-day weekend. Available accommodations include the historic Holly, a boutique hotel with charmingly decorated rooms and public areas, the original grand copper-roofed Carolina, the Manor, a sportsman-style lodge, and numerous condominiums to handle groups of all sizes and budgets. Complimentary shuttle service throughout the property is responsive and efficient.

For lunch and/or libations, the Ryder Cup Lounge is hard to beat. Combine a Carolina Peach Tee (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, peach schnapps, and sweet tea) with a Pretzel Panini stacked with chicken breast, bacon, Monterey Jack, and slathered with aioli mayonnaise and you’re set the for the day. For dinner, the best choice is the 1895 Grille at the Holly Hotel, the only Four Diamond restaurant in the area. The lobster mac and cheese with broccolini is not to be missed—it’s the perfect accompaniment to prime filet mignon.

One other thing not to miss at Pinehurst is the extensive display in the Carolina of artifacts and photos chronicling the resort’s history. The team pictures from the 1951 Ryder Cup with Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Jack Burke, Jr., et al is fascinating. The wide-angle shot of Payne Stewart pumping his fist on the 18th green just months before his death will send shivers up your spine. But there are fun displays, too, like the photos of Annie Oakley, who ran the Pinehurst Gun Club from 1910 to 1920 and gave exhibitions at the hotel twice a week. Makes you wonder what kind of golfer she was, doesn’t it?

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Pinehurst No. 2 Returns To Its Roots

When Peter Allen wrote “Everything Old Is New Again,” he could have easily been talking about Pinehurst Resort, where the recent restyling of famed Pinehurst No. 2 has breathed new life into the venerable North Carolina must-visit golf destination. Today, you won’t find men playing golf in ties and top hats, nor many women wearing bustles and shoes with a dozen buttons, but you will be able to play a unique and exciting golf course much the way it was originally envisioned. And the experience will delight you.

Photo courtesy of Pinehurst Resort

You’ll also find an enchanting village with a host of amenities and activities ranging from stellar restaurants to lawn bowling, croquet, and horseback riding, tours of historic homes, and a festival of some sort nearly every weekend. But golf is the main attraction and the Pinehurst Resort is home to not just one course, but eight, each one distinct and providing golf fun for players of every level. If those eight aren’t enough to scratch your golf itch, there are dozens and dozens of other courses within easy driving distance.

The main attraction, though, is Pinehurst No. 2, fabled for turtle-back greens and site of countless championship tournaments including two U.S. Opens (1999 and 2005), the PGA Championship (1936), and the Ryder Cup (1951). Walking the same fairways trod by Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Payne Stewart, and other luminaries of the game adds a whole other dimension to your round on No. 2. In 2014, today’s stars will light up the course as it sets another record, becoming the first venue to host both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open Championships within a week of each other.

The course the pros tackle will be completely different from the one where Payne Stewart punctuated his win of the U.S. Open in 1999 with an iconic fist pump that’s memorialized by a statue overlooking the eighteenth green. Today’s No. 2 has been restored so that it plays the way Donald Ross intended in the mid-1930s. Architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (who also managed the rebuild of Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle), took a long hard look at photographs of the course from that era and discovered that the modern course, with its lush fairways, even lusher Bermuda grass roughs, and sharply-defined bunkers, greens, and tees were nothing like Ross’s original design. The duo kept the routing and the basic green contours, but changed—for the better—just about everything else.

There is no more rough on Pinehurst No. 2, but before you start celebrating, take a close look at what replaced the thirty acres of thick but boring grass off the fairways. Now you’ll find sand, pine needles, hardpan, and hundreds of thousands of wiregrass plants, spikey tufts of toughness that will eat your errant ball and maybe even the club you used to hit it. Bunkers that had been covered by turf over the years were reclaimed while some of the existing ones were tugged further into the fairways to squeeze landing areas and torment those who dare challenge the layout. The characteristic Pinehurst No. 2 greens were restored to profiles that more naturally tie in to the surrounding grades, although they remain distinctly turtle-backed and can be devilishly cruel.

The result: there’s simply more to deal with on every shot.

The course not only plays differently, it looks different, too. The number of sprinkler heads was cut by more than half so that water reaches only the center of the fairways, which in turn blend into the sandy soil the way nature (and Donald Ross) originally intended. Tee areas, fairways, and even the aprons around the green are all mowed to the same height, making for a visually stunning and unique golf experience.

The second hole, which played as the most difficult in the 2005 U.S. Open, represents everything the restoration was meant to accomplish. As a 503-yard par four, it’s obviously long. What’s not so obvious from the tee though, is exactly where you’re supposed to hit the ball: aim straight for the green and you’ll end up in the hardpan or in a clump of wiregrass. And plan your approach carefully, too, since this is the first of the true turtle-backs on the course. More than one golfer has rolled off, chipped over, bounced back over, and more—all before getting a chance to putt.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf